Following the presidential election of 1948, the _Chicago Tribune_ printed the embarrassing blunder "Dewey Defeats Truman," when in fact Harry S. Truman had defeated his opponent, Thomas E. Dewey.

Are you a word wiz?

Which of the words below is a synonym of "blunder"?

A. blubber

B. snub

C. giggle

D. error

You didn't make any blunders if you picked answer D. "Blunder" is an "error," otherwise known as a "mistake," or "slip up." English speakers have apparently been goofing up for quite a while, because "error" has been in use since the 13th century, while "blunder" and "mistake" have been around since the 14th century. "Slip up" is more of a newcomer; it has appeared in English texts only since the early 1900s.